Twisted Hearts
by Pumpkin Maximus
Summary: A childhood crush from Sesshomaru's past, whom he thought was dead, turns up back alive, and in a quite surprising form. But she is already promised to another, and wants nothing to do with him. Can he win her back? Rating will probably change. SESSxKAG
1. Chapter 1

I do not own or make a profit from Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. :'(

Only the original characters and the plot are mine.

~o~o~o~o~

"Father, are you sure it is necessary for me to attend this banquet?" the young Prince Sesshomaru asked his father, expressing his uneasiness over being there in a more round-about manner.

"Why, of course, Sesshomaru," Inu no Taisho replied. "This is a very important event. As I'm sure you're aware, Princess Yuuka of the South has finally found a mate, meaning that her legacy as the sole heir to the Southern throne is secured. It is a very important event and must be attended by all the Lords and Ladies of the four lands, and their children."

Sesshomaru nodded to his father, only half listening to the political nonsense he was spouting, and traced a design on the balcony with his claw. They were looking out over the party going on below, watching Yuuka and her mate-to-be, Minoru, greet all their guests and thank them for coming. He found it all extremely dull. He just wished he could go back to the days when he was a real child, having to worry about nothing more than when his next meal was and what that shiny thing sticking out of the ground was.

He was now about fifteen in human years, but in demon terms he still had the right to act as a seven-year-old human would, though, being a prince, even that right was taken from him. It was always banquet this and ceremony that, he never had any time to himself any more. He almost sighed, but caught himself in the un-princely action.

"Come, Sesshomaru, I think it is time we went to congratulate the happy couple," said Inu no Taisho, pulling his son out of his reverie.

"Yes, Father," Sesshomaru answered obediently, following his father down the stairs to the ornately tiled floor, where demons swirled this way and that, talking and drinking wine while they waited for the introductions to be finished and the band would start up the music so that the dance portion of the evening could begin. At least the dance meant the end of this boring night for poor Prince Sesshomaru.

"Lord Toga, how nice to see you again! It really has been too long, my friend," said a deep, hearty voice from off to the left, and Sesshomaru looked up to see the man who was addressing his father. He was tall, lean, and muscular, just like his father, but the man's black hair was cropped close to head, falling just a little into his eyes in a boyish manner. A deep, sea blue mark ran along each of his cheekbones, slightly wavier than the ones on the Western Lord and his son, and a small swirl of blue graced his forehead. Sesshomaru had to keep himself from shivering. Elemental demon. A formidable enemy and a great ally. Luckily, it seemed this demon and his father were the latter.

"Lord Yasumi," Inu no Taisho took the man's hand and shook it like old friends, which it just so happened they were. "Congratulations on finding a mate for your daughter. I haven't met him yet, but I'm sure he's a fine lad."

Lord Yasumi chuckled, deep and comforting, almost a purr. "Yes, he's a good one, alright. He's kind and a good leader. I'm confident that I can leave my land to him when the time comes."

Lord Toga nodded. "Yes, finding a male mate is always harder. I got lucky on that account." He smiled and rumpled little Sesshomaru's hair, making the boy uneasy but he tried not to show it and instead looked up at the other lord proud and respectfully. "I've got Sesshomaru here to take care of my land."

"Ah, so this is the famous Sesshomaru. How do you do, son?" Lord Yasumi bent down slightly to compensate for the height difference and shook Sesshomaru's hand.

"Fine, thank you, and you, Lord Yasumi?" Sesshomaru responded politely, gripping his hand and giving it a firm shake as his father had taught him to.

The elemental demon gave another hearty laugh. "Nice boy you got there. I like a nice firm handshake." The Southern Lord released Sesshomaru's hand and went back to speaking with his father about political matters.

Sesshomaru stood by his father's side, feeling awkward and out-of-place, but he didn't know where else to go. He eventually got bored of watching the adults talk, and took a look around.

He could see all the major Lords and Ladies conversing over by the band. The rest of the guests were minor Lords and Ladies, ruling the smaller portions of the land, and not as great in power, though still much more powerful than their subjects. His mother, the Lady of the West, was conversing with Yuuka and Minoru, the couple being celebrated, and Yuuka's mother, Setsuko, the Lady of the South. Beside Setsuko stood her twin sister, Sumiko, only younger by minutes. He recognized Prince Kouga, the son of the Northern Lord, standing beside his father and mother as they watched the people at the banquet, much like he was doing now. And then he saw her, standing next to her parents as they talked with the musicians while everyone waited for the music to be needed.

It was her that caught his attention though, the onna maybe a couple years younger than himself, looking dignified and proud, the perfect princess. The daughter of the Eastern Lord.

~o~o~

Sesshomaru woke up with a start, panting and drenched with sweat. The shock of seeing her alive again, even if it was just a memory, had startled him awake. He growled lightly at himself for getting so worked up over a dream and walked to the window to look out at his moon-bathed estate.

Seeing her face again, so regal and refined, brought the pain back to the surface, like it was only yesterday that he had lost her. He growled again, not wanting to think about it, and walked back over to his bed. Lying down and covering himself with the sheets again, Sesshomaru took a deep breath and vowed that the next time he saw her, the little ningen onna who reminded him so much of the refined Eastern Princess from his memories, she was going to die.

~o~o~o~o~

Yes, I have started another fanfic, so sue me. I just couldn't get this idea out of my head, and anyway I was having writer's block on The Hanyou Pirate. Speaking of which, does anyone even care if I finish that story? (Besides sailorsun118?) Does anyone even care if I finish this one? Am I just talking to myself right now? Probably. Anyway, I hope you guys like this story, I'm really going to try hard to get the chapters out without too much of a delay.

Um, these are the Japanese terms used in this story:

Ningen: human

Onna: female, girl

And the original names:

Yuuka (優花): gentleness, superiority, flower

Minoru (実): truth

Yasumi (安海): peacful sea

Setsuko (節子): melody child

Sumiko (澄子): clear child

I got the name Setsuko from my Granny, she used to live in Okinawa, so... All the others, the translations, and kanji I found at baby name websites XD


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own or make a profit from Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. :'(

Only the original characters and the plot are mine.

~o~o~o~o~

Kagome sighed deeply, looking out over the rolling green hills, full of peace now that the Shikon no Tama had been dispelled from this world. She was glad that it was gone, but now that it was, she didn't really know what she was doing here. Miroku and Sango had gone ahead and gotten married, and Sango was already pregnant. Shippo had gone off to a special kitsune school to hone his abilities, and Kaede was busy teaching Rin about herbs and medicines. Kagome sighed. Well, at least she still had Inuyasha.

Thinking of the hanyou, Kagome cracked a smile. Yes, she would always have Inuyasha. In the two months since the Shikon had been destroyed, they had never been far apart. But Kagome still wasn't quite ready to get too intimate. And she was thankful that Inuyasha respected that.

"What are you thinking about?" Kagome started at the voice that was suddenly beside her.

"Inuyasha...," she said breathlessly, holding a small hand to her chest. She hit him playfully on the arm. "Don't _do_ that! You scared me half to death!"

Inuyasha snickered. He had been a lot nicer since the Shikon no Tama had been destroyed. Frankly, Kagome liked him better this way. She didn't have to 'sit' him as much. She rolled her eyes and went back to looking out over the green hills, leaning on the sturdy wood fence and supporting her head with her hand.

Inuyasha hopped up onto the fence and sat there, staring at her, until she finally looked at him in exasperation. "Nani?" she had time to ask before his lips hit hers. At first she panicked, then slowly melted into the kiss. She felt him smirk against her lips, then slowly slide his tongue across their seam, asking for entrance. She obliged, parting her lips just slightly to allow him to penetrate her mouth.

He explored the wet cavern of her mouth for a moment before pulling back and staring her straight in the eyes, causing her to blush deeply and look down at her shoes. Inuyasha smirked again and kissed her on the forehead. "Come on, old lady Kaede wanted to tell you something."

Kagome was still too dazed by the kiss to scold him for calling Kaede an old lady, and simply let him drag her back to the village. They reached Kaede's hut, and the old miko herself was standing outside waiting for them. Kagome smiled at her and followed inside, still holding Inuyasha's hand.

Kaede sat, looked directly at Kagome, and heaved a heavy sigh. Kagome picked up on her mood immediately, and became more somber to match it. Whatever this news was, it wasn't what she was expecting, that was for sure. "Kaede, is something wrong?" Kagome asked, leaning forward and looking into the miko's deep brown eye, the other covered by a black eye-patch.

"Aye, child," said Kaede, looking down to gain her courage and then back up at Kagome to announce, "Sesshomaru-sama is coming, and it doesn't seem as though he intends to visit Rin."

Kagome gasped and Inuyasha growled at this new development. "What's that bastard up to now?" asked Inuyasha angrily, flexing his claws.

Kagome thought for a moment, placing a finger on her chin and looking up at the roof of the hut to help her concentrate. "Well, I don't think he's after Tetsaiga. He pretty much gave up on that, right?" she asked, looking back down to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha blinked in surprise at her line of thought, then turned serious and nodded.

"Then he has to be after something else," Kagome drew up the obvious conclusion. Inuyasha didn't even have time to roll his eyes before a loud crash was heard from outside.

"Lady Kaede!" a village man ran up to the hut and pulled aside the cloth that acted as a door. "Please forgive my intrusion, but a youkai is requesting audience with Lady Kagome and Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha grunted and pulled Kagome to her feet, then outside, pushing the man roughly out of the way. "Where is that bastard?" Inuyasha grumbled looking around and sniffing the air for his brother's retched scent. His head swung swiftly to the side as he smelt the demon blood raging not fifty feet away, and pulled Kagome along with him.

"He must be behind that hut! I sense his aura!" Kagome told Inuyasha, pointing to the large building they were running towards. He nodded and they turned the corner, to find perhaps the most unexpected scene they could think of.

It was Sesshomaru, all right, but... he wasn't quite himself. Inuyasha cursed himself silently. How could he let Kagome get so close to this killer? Sesshomaru's eyes bled red and his pupils and irises had narrowed down to slits. The regal magenta strips on his cheekbones had turned jagged, and his fangs and claws had lengthened. He had obviously lost control of his actions, though why, Inuyasha couldn't fathom. He had never seen his half-brother lose control to his beast before. Ever.

"Kagome, get behind me," ordered Inuyasha, shoving her behind him and drawing Tetsusaiga. Upon hearing the hanyou's voice, Sesshomaru's head turned, and his eyes immediately narrowed when his sights set on Kagome.

Sesshomaru dashed for the duo, completely ignoring his half-brother and running straight towards Kagome, who drew in a breath to scream. Before the air could leave her lungs, however, Sesshomaru had one arm wrapped securely around her waist, holding her to his chest, and was running off towards the Western shiro with her.

Kagome let out her scream and Sesshomaru winced lightly before burying her head in his chest with his other hand, mindful not to skewer her on his armor. Kagome struggled for another moment before deciding that it was useless, and instead looked up to the face of her captor. Kagome would have gasped if her mouth wasn't disabled, at what she saw there. She could have sworn the great, arrogant Lord Sesshomaru was... crying.

~o~o~o~o~

Right, well here's chapter two! Man, I'm really on a roll with this story! I'm glad I wrote it down before I forgot it. ^^ Anyway, please tell me what you think! I'm always open to constructive criticism. And please don't hurt me, I've never written any real romance before so I'm sorry if that kiss was kinda awkward... Also, because it's more convenient, yes Sesshomaru does have two arms in this story. It grew back or something. o.0

Japanese terms:

Kitsune: fox (for this story it means fox demon obviously)

Hanyou: half-demon

Nani: a rude way of asking "what?" Nan desu ka is the more polite way ^^

Miko: priestess

Youkai: demon

Shiro: castle


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own or make a profit from Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. :'(

Only the original characters and the plot are mine.

~o~o~o~o~

They reached the Western shiro surprisingly quickly, though Kagome couldn't see it well, as her head was still pressed tightly against Sesshomaru's chest. He stormed right in, weaving in and out of concerned servants and guards, looking at no one, speaking to no one. Not that he did that often anyway.

Sesshomaru quickly ascended the steps up to the upper floors and found a chamber to deposit her in. But, oddly enough, he didn't throw her in as she was expecting. He set her down gently, like a porcelain doll, and on the bed even. Then he zoomed out the door in another flash of demonic speed, closing it on his way out.

"H-hey!" Kagome called out after regaining her voice. She got up and stomped over to the door and tried to pull it open. It held fast. Kagome growled. So he had locked her in, huh? "Hey! What's the big deal, Sesshomaru? I want out _right now_! Hey! Are you listening? Get me _out_!" Kagome huffed in exasperation and gave up on trying to get him to unlock the door.

She looked around at the room he had placed her in. The bed which he had dumped her on was up against the wall to the right, the headboard flush with the smooth gray stone. It was large, much too large for one person, and covered in flowing white and gold sheets. She was amazed they actually had a western-style bed in the Sengoku Jidai, and more importantly that she had been given a room with this enormous thing and not a simple futon. Maybe Sesshomaru had dropped her in here by mistake...

Kagome shook her head to rid herself of the unproductive thoughts and continued her inspection of the room. Next to the bed was a small table with an unlit candlestick and a pitcher that looked like it was for water, along with two cups. On the left side of the room there was a huge wooden armoire, shining with fine polish. Next to the armoire, there was a sliding rice paper door. Curious, Kagome went to go see what was in the next room. _Maybe a way out_, she thought hopefully.

Slowly, the door slid to the side, and Kagome gasped at what she saw there. Steam whirled around the room, clinging to the stone walls and beautiful tiled floor, rising from the pit in the center of the room, big enough to hold at least twenty bathtubs of water. An indoor hot spring, connected right to her room! If Kagome hadn't figured it out earlier, something was definitely out of the ordinary here.

After confirming that there were no other doors that led to the hot spring, and thus no way out of her room, Kagome closed the door and walked over to what seemed to be her only way to escape, if you could even call it that. The one large window that sat directly opposite the door, over-looking the gardens below, and the huge wall of defense further out. She could open it if she tried, but the drop was about fifty feet, and she didn't want to try to make a rope out of the bed sheets. She could already imagine all the ways _that_ could go wrong.

And so Kagome propped her head up on her hand and looked out the window, feeling like the princess in the tower, the damsel in distress, yet again.

~o~o~

Inuyasha growled as he followed the trail Sesshomaru and Kagome had left. He couldn't believe that bastard! He lost control and he just _had_ to come kidnap Kagome! Damnit! Where was his peace of mind anymore?

Inuyasha sniffed the air again and sped up. He was getting closer.

~o~o~

Sesshomaru couldn't believe what he had just done. He had been grieving for but a second and his beast had decided that moment was the time to take control. Oh well, he was planning to kill the onna anyway, this would just make things easier. He might even get Inuyasha in the bargain.

Sesshomaru could feel the hanyou's aura speeding closer, pumped full of adrenalin and blazing in anger. It wouldn't be long before he was at the shiro, attacking the guards as they tried to keep the unwelcome intrusion from defiling their Lord's palace. Sesshomaru would just have to stop them and drive his half-brother away himself; he knew it was the only way it was going to get done.

Ah, how he missed the good old days when he could just roam his lands alone, adventuring and getting away from all the drab duties and obligations of being a Lord. Or even better, back to the days when he was still just a prince and his father got to handle all the Lord's duties. Back when he could just roam the gardens and the woods with-

Sesshomaru growled at himself to dispel his line of thought. He didn't want to dwell on anything from his past too much, lest his beast take control again. Who knew what it would do if it could take the reins again. He could still feel it fighting behind the mental bars he had put on it to keep it from escaping again.

**It is her, the onna, she has returned to us**, his beast clamored from behind the chains.

_That is not Kimiyuu_, Sesshomaru growled back, then gave the animal no more of his attention, though it continued to throw meaningless facts at his mind in an attempt to get him to admit it. Kagome was Kimiyuu, the little girl they knew from so long ago.

~o~o~

Kagome was still looking out the window, and she sighed. There wasn't much to do except for sigh and keep watching the garden and wall. She had already identified Sesshomaru's aura halfway across the castle on the ground floor, as far away from her as possible. Perhaps he set it up like that on purpose. She didn't care. She'd rather be as far away from him as possible for the moment.

Kagome didn't know what it was, but something was definitely wrong with him. She hadn't known him for as long as some, but she definitely knew that he wasn't one to give into his beast easily. Something had to have really upset him, something that probably had to do with her, since he had yet to kill her.

~o~o~o~o~

Well, there you have it, chapter three. I know this story is progressing kind of slowly but I promise it'll get better. (I hope...) Anyway, thank you for everyone who's reading and reviewing, it really means a lot to me. ^^ And a big thanks to TheSk8t3rG1rl for beta'ing this chapter for me. ;)

Japanese terms:

Shiro: castle

Sengoku Jidai: the "Warring States" era of Japan's Muromachi period (approximately 1467-1568 CE) ... Don't ask me what that means, I just got it out of the book.

Onna: female, girl

Hanyou: half-demon

Original Japanese names:

Kimiyuu (優后): empress, gentleness, superiority


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own or make a profit from Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. :'(

Only the original characters and the plot are mine.

~o~o~o~o~

Kagome was getting bored. She had to admit that the garden outside was beautiful, and it would be even more so, if she were only down there to enjoy it fully. Really, it was no fun being the damsel in distress. _Again_.

Kagome sighed and turned back to look at the room Sesshomaru had dumped her in. It was truly amazing, and that just made her more uneasy. Why had he kidnapped her? Why hadn't he killed her? And _why_ in his right mind would he give her a fancy room like this?

All these questions and more swirled around in her mind as she leaned on the windowsill, staring at the polished wood floor of the shiro. She looked up as she _finally_ felt a familiar aura at the gates of the shiro, and she excitedly looked out the window again to see Inuyasha yelling at the guards to let him in. Her face lit up immediately. He had come to rescue her!

~o~o~

Sesshomaru sensed the hanyou's aura at the gates, and stood from his desk with a mental sigh. He could finally get rid of the little nuisance. Leaving his papers and other such bothers that he had to deal with as a lord, Sesshomaru gracefully walked out the door to meet his half-brother.

~o~o~

"Just let me in already! I don't have time to deal with small fries like you!" Inuyasha yelled at the guards again as they raised their spears and swords against him, barring his entrance to the shiro.

"Unless you are a guest of the Lord I suggest you leave," said the nearest guard, a bulky man who looked vaguely hog-youkai.

Inuyasha growled at him and drew Tetsusaiga. "You asked for it," he snarled, prepared to just Wind Scar his ass out of the way, but a voice stopped him before he could.

"Silence, half-breed." Sesshomaru walked out from behind the guards, and they all respectfully cleared him a path.

Inuyasha glared at Sesshomaru now, holding up Tetsusaiga with one arm, pointed directly at his half-brother's chest. "Where is Kagome?" he asked angrily. Sesshomaru didn't answer, which only infuriated Inuyasha more. "Fine then, I'll just find her after I kill _you_!" Inuyasha took Tetsusaiga into both hands and charged, yelling out a battle cry as he ran.

Sesshomaru had Tokijin out and blocking the attack in but a moment, effectively swiping Inuyasha to the side as the guards cleared further away to give their Lord more room to fight. Inuyasha came up growling, and charged again, aiming his sword to stab into Sesshomaru's gut.

Sesshomaru side-stepped the blow easily and stuck out his hand to wrap around Inuyasha's throat, choking the boy and completely halting his forward motion. He let his claws drip a bit of acid, and watched as Inuyasha writhed when it began to melt his neck. "Insolent half-breed, this Sesshomaru has more important things to do than teach you another lesson." Sesshomaru flicked his wrist and let go of Inuyasha, sprawling him on the ground close to the forest outside of the shiro gates.

Inuyasha hacked and coughed on the ground as Sesshomaru began to walk back inside, but Inuyasha wasn't done yet. "S-Sesshomaru," Inuyasha rasped, still holding his throat with one hand as he shakily stood up. "You bastard. For that you die!" Inuyasha picked up Tetsaiga and held it over his head. "Wind Scar!" he yelled, still a little hoarse from the strangling he had just received, and brought his sword down on the air, cutting the fissure of demonic energy in the air and releasing the Wind Scar.

Sesshomaru jumped to the side as the Wind Scar tore through the shiro's gate and several guards who hadn't gotten far enough away had to dodge at the last minute when they realized they were in the path of the attack. Inuyasha cursed that he had missed but brought down another attack, and another, and another, all in rapid succession.

Sesshomaru tactfully dodged them all, each leap bringing him slowly closer to the raging hanyou, until he was close enough to get the boy while he was powering up for another strike. Sesshomaru unleashed his whip in full force at close range, tearing at Inuyasha's sides and limbs. If it hadn't been for his fire rat haori, the hanyou would be split in two.

As it was Inuyasha fell to the ground and Sesshomaru brought out Tokijin quickly to slash and X on his back. Inuyasha screamed as pain ripped through his back, and then was strangely quiet, though Sesshomaru knew that the boy was not yet dead. He sheathed his sword and turned to the guards, who had all but fled the premises during his battle, but quickly called to attention at his look. "Make sure he is deposited _far_ away from here," their Lord ordered, then went back to the shiro and left them to fulfill his orders with slight confusion but absolutely no questions.

~o~o~

Kagome was ecstatic to feel her savior's aura grow stronger as he battled the Lord, but then her heart plunged as she felt him grow weaker and weaker throughout the course of the battle. She couldn't see what was going on directly, as the wall stood in the way of their actions, but she could feel that it was not going well for Inuyasha.

She felt when the battle ended. Sesshomaru's aura calmly walked away from the fading aura of his half-brother and back to his shiro. Kagome was devastated, but relieved that Sesshomaru had left the hanyou alive, though she knew not why. Then again, who knew anything much about Sesshomaru?

Kagome was startled when she felt Sesshomaru's aura, instead of going back to his room on the first floor as she thought he would, slowly make his way up the stairs to her chamber. Kagome's heart was almost literally in her mouth as she heard the door being unlocked and unconsciously scooted closer to the window and thus farther from the door. Further away from the cold killer she could sense on the other side.

~o~o~o~o~

Sorry, guys, I had a little bit of writer's block on this one, so the beginning may be a little... _blah_. Anyway, yay, fight scene in this chapter! I hope you like it, sorry again this was written at like 2:15 in the morning so... Yeah, anyway, thank you to everyone who reads and reviews, I really love to hear what you guys think. And thank you once again to my wonderful beta, TheSk8t3rG1rl.

Japanese terms:

Shiro: castle

Hanyou: half-demon

Youkai: demon

Haori: a traditional Japanese kimono jacket


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own or make a profit from Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. :'(

Only the original characters and the plot are mine.

~o~o~o~o~

Kagome stared at the Killing Perfection as he slowly walked into her room, heart in her mouth as she waited for him to do something. She knew not why she was here in his shiro, why he had given her this beautiful room, why he had yet to kill her. It almost scared her that he was acting so different from his usual, icy personality.

Her internal panic attack was cut off when he leaped forward in a flash of demonic speed, and she felt a sharp sting on her cheek. The next thing she knew she was on the cold wood ground five feet away from him, smacking her head hard. She cried out in pain and held one hand to the quickly forming bump on her head and the other to the cut his claws had made on her cheek, dripping warm blood down her neck.

Tears began to leak from her eyes as Kagome realized that this was the end. There was no way he wouldn't kill her. Her life was over. Inuyasha was incapacitated by the wounds that Sesshomaru had inflicted upon him and Sango and Miroku were back in Kaede's village, unaware of the tragedies that had befallen their comrades. No one was coming to save her this time.

Sesshomaru raised his hand, claws sharp and deadly, poised to strike Kagome once again, and she flinched into the floor, knowing that there was no way out of this fate. Kagome peeked through the curtain of her dark hair after she felt no new pain to realize that Sesshomaru wasn't standing over her anymore. He had left, without delivering the final blow.

~o~o~

Sesshomaru looked down at his bloody claws, and growled in frustration. He couldn't do it. He simply couldn't do it. The feeling of her blood dripping down his fingers was repulsing enough, but watching her flinch into the floorboards, as he had seen someone all-too-similar to her do in the distant past, made him nearly quake with self-hatred.

_He_ was the monster that made her look like that, made her feel like that. _He_ was the one who had stolen all her defenses from her, and had been prepared to mercilessly kill her. Just like a certain group of bandits had done to his precious Kimiyuu all those centuries ago.

Sesshomaru growled louder as his beast nearly broke free from his hold at the thought of his lost love. It wanted him to go back and heal his onna, to comfort her and then finally claim her as his own. **She is Kimiyuu**, it yelled to him, shoving a memory in his face to try and weaken his defenses even more.

~o~o~

"Again!" yelled the young Sesshomaru, charging his opponent once more. The shadowy figure smiled, showing sharp, bright white teeth, and jumped quickly into the air above the prince.

He was ready for the move this time, however, and flipped himself over in the middle of his lunge so that his back was towards the ground, then kicked his legs up with full force, connecting between the shadowy creature's collarbone and shoulders, sending her back. Sesshomaru smiled as he skidded backwards on his spine, the momentum of his lunge and the kick combined adding up to be one heck of a recoil.

The shadowy creature had other ideas, however. She gracefully took the kick and used its force to do a backflip, landing on the ground in a half crouch, staying in the position for only a moment before she sprinted over to where Prince Sesshomaru was standing up and tackled him, sending him roughly to the ground. She then swiftly flipped him over onto his stomach then pinned his arms behind his back, sitting on them and crossing her arms triumphantly.

"Well?" Princess Kimiyuu of the East said playfully, looking down out of the corner of her eye to sneer at Sesshomaru condescendingly. "What's that bring the scores to now? About a hundred to zero?" She sneered again as Sesshomaru huffed indignantly into the dirt.

"I wanna re-match," he grumbled, straining slightly to breath with her weight on his back. The young princess hopped off of him and smiled again.

"Sesshy-sama, I told you, I will _never_ let you beat me." She said it playfully, but her face was dead serious.

"Hn," was all Sesshomaru gave as an answer as he pulled himself up into a sitting position and dusted off his hoari and hakama. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her lightly, making it almost look like he was pouting. Kimiyuu could only stare at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. "What?" Sesshomaru growled, glaring at her harder and pulling up his lip slightly to display his sharp canines.

Kimiyuu giggled with one hand in front of her mouth and the other waving at him. "It's just...," she began to say through the snickers, "you looked so cute when you pouted! Like a sad little puppy."

Sesshomaru stared at the girl in disbelief, trying to hide the blush that had begun to heat his face at the word "cute." _What a ditzy girl_, Sesshomaru thought in disbelief as he watched her snicker to herself some more. **I find it rather cute**, his beast voiced it's unwanted opinion in his mind. Sesshomaru simply growled mentally at his unusual inner self.

After Princess Kimiyuu had pretty much recovered from her fit of laughter, she walked over to Sesshomaru again and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him up and in the direction of her father's shiro, where the two lords were discussing political matters. "C'mon, Sesshy-sama," she said, tugging on his arm gently and smiling widely, "It think Otoo-sama is getting worried about us. We had better get back to the shiro before he and your otoo-sama come out looking for us." Sesshomaru let the strange girl tug him along through the forest to her father, the Eastern Lord's, shiro.

~o~o~

Sesshomaru had to stop himself from gasping as he was forcefully pulled from the memory and back to the present. **They are one and the same!**__his beast growled viciously to him. Sesshomaru was about to make a snappy comeback when he felt a familiar tug on his mind, and he realized that his beast was not yet done showing him the painful memories of his days with Princess Kimiyuu.

~o~o~o~o~

Man, I loved writing that memory bit, and there are more to come in the next chapter or two (or three...) so I hope you guys like them too. ^^ Gah! Sorry for the wait. I'm having trouble contacting my beta, so I just decided to post this un-beta'd. I hope you guys don't mind. I think I did a pretty good job of checking for punctuation and stuffs myself, but... Tell me what you think. Thanks.

Japanese terms:

Shiro: castle

Onna: female, girl

Haori: a traditional Japanese kimono jacket

Hakama: pants

Otoo-sama: a very respectful way of saying father

Original Japanese names:

Kimiyuu (優后): empress, gentleness, superiority


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own or make a profit from Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. :'(

Only the original characters and the plot are mine.

~o~o~o~o~

"Sesshy-sama, what are we doing here?" asked the young Princess Kimiyuu, cocking her head slightly to the side as she watched him hop along more boulders.

"You'll see." Sesshomaru grunted as he hauled himself up higher on the rocky mountain, then reached back to hold out a hand to help her up. "Come on! We're gonna miss it!"

Kimiyuu shook her head slightly at him and jumped lightly to stand by his side, raising a skeptical eyebrow at him. "You know, it's a lot easier if you just do that," she said, bounding higher up the rocky mountainside.

"H-hey! Wait up!" Sesshomaru called after her, scrambling up more rocks. Kimiyuu rolled her eyes from the top of the mountain, watching him struggle up the rocks. Sesshomaru pulled himself over the last rock and lay down on his back, panting. "Don't... do that," he panted out, then swallowed to try and get some of his breath back. "Us dogs need more time to... learn to do that," he explained to her. "You cats are just like a freak of nature or something."

Kimiyuu sat down cross-legged with her head propped up on her arm. "One, we're not cats, we're panthers, big difference; and two, maybe we're normal and you dogs are all just inferior to our awesome skills." She smiled as he gawked, then jumped lightly backwards as he made a swipe for her stomach with his claws.

She laughed lightly as he growled slightly, sitting up and preparing to launch another attack. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding, jeez, no need to get so touchy," she said, making pacifying gestures with her hands. "Anyway, what did you want to show me up here?"

At the mention of their previous quest, Sesshomaru calmed down and stood again, taking her hand lightly in his and pointing out to the horizon. "We almost missed it," he said, watching as the sun dipped closer to the seemingly never-ending line of trees.

Kimiyuu cocked her head to the side again as he pulled her hand to sit down next to him. "The sunset?" she asked skeptically. "What's so great about that?"

"Have you ever taken the time to just sit back and really enjoy a good sunset? I mean without any interruptions or obligations or duties?" Kimiyuu shook her head and Sesshomaru turned to watch the sun again. "I think it's really beautiful," he whispered, almost as if he was afraid to admit it.

Kimiyuu chuckled lightly, and Sesshomaru was just about to turn his head to glare at her when he found her soft black hair tickling at his pointed ear. Sesshomaru's eyes widened as he saw her head leaning against his shoulder, but then he just smiled and went back to watching the sunset.

Not long after the sun had hidden itself completely behind the mass of trees, Sesshomaru heard the soft sound of heavy breathing, and turned to see that Princess Kimiyuu had fallen asleep on his shoulder. She looks so... cute, he thought, and it wasn't his beast thinking it this time.

~o~o~

Sesshomaru was really mad now. He growled full out as his beast released him from the memory and growled back at him. It matters not if the onna is ningen or youkai, she is still our onna, it snarled out, then threw him into another memory before he could make a comeback.

~o~o~

"What is the matter, Kimiyuu-sama? Why did you call me here?" asked Prince Sesshomaru as he sat at a small table in the princess's private den. It had been over a year since they had last seen each other, political matters keeping their families busy and their lives separate. Sesshomaru had been thrilled when the Eastern Lord had invited his family over for meetings, as he would finally be able to see Kimiyuu again, but judging by the somber look on her face, something was definitely wrong here.

Kimiyuu didn't answer him at first, instead silently nodding to the servant who had brought and poured them their tea, then waiting until he was gone before she began. She didn't bother with pleasantries, just skipped straight to the point. "My father has promised me to Prince Kouga of the North."

Sesshomaru stared at her blankly for a moment, letting the words seep in and take meaning in his shocked mind. They were like daggers in his heart, each ripping out a little of his being with their meaning. Even his beast was mercifully silent with shock. "Go on," he said in a monotone, wanting to make sure there were no extra conditions that could be brought up later to hurt him more.

"Things were heating up between the North and the South; a battle was about to break out. In an attempt to gain more allies, Lord Nobunori proposed a marriage between me and his only son, Prince Kouga. Since I am not in line to gain my father's throne and he didn't want to give up a chance at new allies, he quickly accepted," Kimiyuu finished quietly, dragging a finger along the rim of her tea cup, not looking up at Sesshomaru to see his reaction. She could smell his sadness, there was no need to see it in his face as well.

"How long?" Sesshomaru asked in a monotone again, not quite sure what he meant himself.

Luckily, Kimiyuu answered both of the potential questions in his sentence. "That was five months ago. The date of our wedding is set for my thirty-second birthday, fifteen years from now, but our lands are already allies."

"And that would make our lands enemies, since my father has allied himself with Lord Yasumi of the South." Kimiyuu nodded sadly. Sesshomaru stood quickly but gracefully, making sure not to bump the table or even let his chair scratch against the wood flooring of her den. "I think I'll take my leave now," he said emotionlessly, heading for the door as Kimiyuu made no motion to stop him.

We'll kill him, his beast roared in his mind. We'll kill him and take back our onna, she is obviously unhappy. Sesshomaru paid the beast no mind, it wasn't speaking rationally anyway. He couldn't kill the prince of the North. The lands were already teetering on the brink of a war and anyway, he was but a prince, while Prince Kouga had his family to back him up should anything happen. Sesshomaru knew if he were to attack he would be going in alone, and right to his pointless death.

~o~o~

Sesshomaru panted as he was brought out of that particularly painful memory, his beast on the verge of breaking free and taking control of his body once more. He was full out growling now, not caring who heard him. He would not let his beast out, he couldn't. Who knew what it would do if it gained control over his body again?

His beast growled. You asked for it, it snarled, and shoved another memory in his face. This one, was definitely going to be the worse.

~o~o~o~o~

Side Note: "thirty-second birthday" By my calculations, that's about fifteen in my way of determining demon years. :D

Anyways, thank you for everyone who's stuck with me this far, I hope this chapter starts to explain some stuff, as will the next one hopefully. Like why he thinks Kimiyuu's dead. And hugantic thank you once again to my beta, Lady Midnight Walker, for putting up with me. -.- I know I'm such a bother.

Japanese terms:

Onna: female, girl

Ningen: human

Youkai: demon

Original Japanese names:

Nobunori (信儀): truth, rule, ceremony

Yasumi (安海): peacful sea (Remember him from way the heck back in chapter 1?)


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own or make a profit from Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. :'(

Only the original characters and the plot are mine.

~o~o~o~o~

"Come on, Sesshomaru, or you're going to get left behind," his mother called from the hill ahead of him.

"Yes, Okaa-sama," he said, speeding over to stand next to the full-grown dog demon. He purposefully ignored the young youkai who stood on the other side of his mother, quiet and deep in thought. She had been like that ever since she had announced her engagement two months ago, though he hadn't been around to see her during that time.

He knew not why she was with them now, but he was happy that she was. Though she was obviously detached from the world, he was happy that he at least got to see her again. And he did, actually, have a pretty good idea of why she was there.

Just like him, she was there to protect his pregnant mother. While female demons were with child, they were _extremely_ weak, having only the physical strength of a ningen onna. And, being the stubborn creature that she was, Sesshomaru's mother simply wouldn't stay cramped in their shiro throughout her entire pregnancy. And so, half-way into her pregnancy, Sesshomaru and Kimiyuu were out walking with the Lady of the East to go on a picnic in a nearby meadow.

"Lady Tomosuzu," Kimiyuu said quietly, and the Lady of the West tilted her head to look at the child, "I think this is a good spot to stop, do you not?" She nodded to the top of the gentle slope that they had just come to the top of, overlooking a field of wildflowers below.

"Ah! Good choice, Princess Kimiyuu. Yes, I think this spot will do quite nicely," said Lady Tomosuzu, setting herself gently down on the soft grass. There was even a lone sakura tree sitting behind them, fully-blooming sakura blowing gently in the light breeze. Kimiyuu and Sesshomaru set themselves down on either side of the Lady, who set the small basket she was carrying in the middle of them all.

They had brought simple onigiri and steamed vegetables. Lady Tomosuzu dished everything out and handed plates to the youths before making one for herself, savoring the taste of the food and the fresh air, a most wonderful combination. They ate quickly and quietly, the Lady simply contented to be out in the fresh air again.

After they finished, Lady Tomosuzu put everything away in the basket and sighed in content as she leaned against the sakura tree. "Sesshomaru, Kimiyuu, why don't you go down to the field and pick some wildflowers to bring back to the shiro? They do look lovely," suggested the Lady, smiling gently at her uneasy son and the detached princess.

"Yes, Okaa-sama," said Sesshomaru at the same time Kimiyuu said, "Yes, Lady Tomosuzu," and they got up to walk to the flowers. Sesshomaru didn't know why his mother encouraged his interaction with the future Lady of the North, probably more political nonsense, but weren't their lands about to go to war anyway? He mentally shook his head to dispel the unproductive thoughts and bent down to begin picking flowers for his mother.

Sesshomaru looked up to see Kimiyuu sitting down, having carefully placed herself away from harming any flowers, and had a small bouquet settled on her lap. She held up a light lavender flower to her nose and inhaled lightly, muttering to herself, "I love morning glories." Sesshomaru held the lavender flower he had just picked in front of his face, thinking.

He couldn't help but start as he heard the ear-splitting scream from where his mother was still sitting by the sakura tree. He and Kimiyuu exchanged one wordless, worried glance, and then they were both on the hill with a flash of demonic speed. The scene they saw there almost made them retch.

A gang of human bandits was attacking his mother, who was desperately trying to get away and keep her slightly bulging stomach safe from their sharp swords. She was bleeding profusely from a deep gash in her shoulder, cutting across her collarbone all the way to her sternum. Sesshomaru growled viciously, echoed by Kimiyuu beside him, and the bandits turned to look at them.

They wasted no time in charging the new opponents, cocky with the near-kill of the Lady youkai. Though they were far from being completely mature and at their full power level, Sesshomaru and Kimiyuu were still much stronger than Lady Tomosuzu was in her weakened state, and began taking out the ningen one by one.

Sesshomaru finished off three that were in his way before he rushed to his mother, hearing her heavy panting and seeing the color drain from her face as the blood drained from her body. "Okaa-sama? Okaa-sama, speak to me," he urged as he fell to his knees beside her collapsing form. She had her eyes squeezed shut and was struggling to maintain consciousness, he could tell, but he knew that once his father was back from his battle with the dragon Ryukotsusei, surely he would be able to heal her.

Until then, Sesshomaru would just have to keep her safe. He turned to look for Kimiyuu, and saw her surrounded by bandits, being overwhelmed. Five on each limb were holding her in place, and another kept her head still. He knew not how they had subdued her, but he could tell they had done so quickly, or he would have noticed the struggle. Sesshomaru leaped to help her, but just as he was about to get to them, the leader of the ningen bandits stabbed a jagged spear through her chest, right through her heart.

Sesshomaru threw his hands up to protect his eyes as a blinding light sprung forth from Kimiyuu's dying body, enveloping her. When it was over, all that was left were the wretched bandits, the leader still holding a bloody spear where Kimiyuu's heart had just been.

And at that, Sesshomaru lost it. His beast ripped at the mental cage he had made for it, and paralyzed with grief as he was, Sesshomaru could do nothing to stop it as it took over his body. **No one **_**dare**_** touch our onna,** it snarled in his mind, lengthening his claws and growling viciously at the bandits.

They didn't even have time to notice the danger as Sesshomaru leaped forward, tearing off two heads and hurtling them at their comrades, knocking them out. He slashed and tore with his claws, biting and snapping at the limbs that got in his way, mindless to anything outside of his own little world of misery.

When all was said and done and the corpses littered the blood-stained earth, Sesshomaru was brought back to himself by the panting of a body behind him. He spun to look at his mother's broken body lying face-up on the ground, sweaty with the effort of staying alive and breathing heavily.

"Okaa-sama," Sesshomaru gasped, rushing to her side. "Okaa-sama, they're gone. Don't worry, they're gone. We'll get Otoo-sama and he'll fix up this whole mess, just you wait, Okaa-"

"Sesshomaru," the dying Lady of the West interrupted with a gasp, and Sesshomaru immediately stopped to listen to her faint voice. "I am not much longer in this world." Sesshomaru was about to interrupt, to tell her that wasn't true, but she continued quickly. "I am dying, and you know it, Sesshomaru. Please, be a good Lord to our people."

"But, Okaa-sama, why me? Otoo-sama is still here, he can-"

"No," Lady Tomosuzu interrupted again. "No, he is not, that is why I cannot stay much longer. A female cannot live without her mate. Please, Sesshomaru, please be good to the people..." She faded off, but Sesshomaru could still hear her faint heartbeat. He gently picked up her torso and head, holding her to his chest so that her heart may seem stronger. "Sesshomaru... I love you..."

And with those final words, the Lady of the West was no more.

~o~o~o~o~

Grah! I hate sad parts! But I knew I was gonna have to write this part, that's how I planned it from the beginning. Anyways, enough with the memories already, next chapter it's back to present day Sesshy and Kagome.

Once again, thank you to all of my readers and reviewers, you guys rock. ;)

I guess I should inform you that, unfortunately, I no longer have my beta, Lady Midnight Walker. That's okay, though, I completely understand her reason. Go give her some love, peoples!

Japanese terms:

Okaa-sama: a very respectful way of saying mother

youkai: demon

ningen: human

onna: woman, female

shiro: castle

sakura: cherry blossom

onigiri: riceball

Otoo-sama: a very respectful way of saying father

Original Japanese names:

Kimiyuu (優后): empress, gentleness, superiority

Tomosuzu (智鈴): wisdom, intellect, bell

Tomosuzu (wisdom, intellect, bell):智鈴


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own or make a profit from Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. :'(

Only the original characters and the plot are mine.

~o~o~o~o~

Kagome could feel Sesshomaru's aura growing stronger and wilder down on the ground floor, and it scared her. What was causing him to be so upset? Whatever it was, she wasn't going to stick around to find out. She had already removed all the sheets from the bed and tied them together diagonally to give her the longest possible rope. After testing each knot to her satisfaction, Kagome tied one end of the rope to the bedpost and tested that knot as well.

Then came the hard part. In order to give her the best chance of reaching the ground without breaking anything vital, Kagome was going to push the bed right up next to the window to let more of her makeshift rope hang out. The only problem was, that bed was _heavy_. After ten minutes of fruitless pushing and pulling, Kagome was about ready to give up and just jump out the window already.

She sat on the bed, huffing in frustration for a moment before she got an idea. Kagome hopped off the gigantic bed and began to tug off the mattress, depositing it near the door. She huffed again and muttered to herself, "Now maybe..."

She returned to the bed-frame with renewed vigor, pushing and pulling until it was right beside the window. She allowed herself a brief moment of celebration before she went back to work, throwing the rope out the window and analyzing her prospects.

The rope ended about ten feet from the ground, but it was better than nothing. Kagome sighed one last time to steel her courage, then grabbed the bed-sheet rope and began to climb out the window.

~o~o~

That was it, Sesshomaru couldn't take it anymore. His defenses had been all but annihilated by the grief brought by his memories, and it was easy for his beast to break free and take control.

His pupils slitted and his eyes turned red, his claws lengthened and his long silver hair waved in the wind from his demonic transformation. **Finally**, his beast growled in approval. It had hated reliving those memories just as much as Sesshomaru had, but it was necessary to take control. And now that he had it...

The beast sniffed the air and sent out his senses for his little onna. He could sense her, but not in the place he had expected. Instead of staying in the fifth-floor room he had left her in, the beast could feel her aura dangling just below the third floor, and dropping quickly, albeit in a steady, controlled manner.

The beast growled in disapproval and sped outside, around concerned guards and servants just as he had not too long ago, and to the garden below where Kagome was descending. Perfect timing, too, because just as he entered the garden, Kagome's hold on the bed-sheet rope slipped, and she began to fall.

The beast rushed forward to catch the miko, who was screaming and desperately trying to regain her hold on the rope. Her screaming was cut off by a sharp gasp as she landed in the beast's strong arms, gratitude turning to fear as she looked at his face.

_Alright, she's safe! Now give me back my body!_ Sesshomaru's consciousness yelled from the mental cage that he was now trapped in, just as his beast had been before.

**I am not yet finished with it, the onna is still distressed**, the beast growled internally, hugging Kagome's startled head closer to his chest.

"Uh, S-Sesshomaru?" the miko questioned hesitantly, as if scared to alert him to her presence. The beast purred low in his chest, trying to comfort her in the only say he knew how, though Kagome, inexperienced in the Inu language as she was, found it frightening and confusing.

She held still in his arms, immobilized with fear, as he continued to purr and hold her to his chest. Against logic, her heart-beat began to slow, and her mind grew calmer, fear melting to security in the comfort of his arms. Somehow, it felt familiar.

"**There, there, my little onna, be at peace. No harm will befall you while I am here.**" Though Kagome only heard the beast's words as soft growls, she understood the feeling behind their meaning. She nodded slowly into his chest, and closed her eyes as they filled with moisture.

The beast sighed in contentment, and purred once more before giving Sesshomaru back his body. **I will be watching**_**, **_his beast warned one last time, and Sesshomaru mentally rolled his eyes before taking control of his body again.

Sesshomaru looked down at the teary-eyed onna still clutching to his haori and slowly pulled her away from himself before lowering her to the ground. Kagome wiped the tears out of her eyes and looked up at him shyly. "I-I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me, Sesshomaru," she said, tilting her head to look up at his face.

"Hn," was all he replied with before he turned to a nervous guard watching them from a couple yards away. At the look, the guard scurried over and waited to be addressed. "She is free to leave. Open the gate and let her out," he said before turning to walk back into the shiro.

Kagome stared after him, confused and strangely hurt at his sudden dismissal, but at the prompting of the guard her followed him to the gate. Once she was out, the gate was closed behind her without so much as a parting glance from any of the guards.

Kagome sighed and began walking in the direction she had felt Inuyasha's aura go before, after his battle with Sesshomaru. He was most likely injured and needed to be healed, so once she found him, they would go back to Kaede's village and get her backpack full of futuristic medical supplies and healing herbs.

Unfortunately, that same backpack was sitting right next to her bow and quiver right now, so she hadn't a way to defend herself in the forest. Realizing this, Kagome picked up a rather large stick and weighed it in her hand, trying to see if she could infuse it with her miko powers as she could her arrows. If not, it would always make a nice club.

So Kagome continued to sneak through the woods, head constantly swiveling this way and that to check for danger. After a couple hours marching through the forest with basically no change in routine or scenery, Kagome decided to bed down for the night. It was still about an hour till sunset, but she wanted to allot herself some extra time to build a fire and make a bed, especially since she didn't have her backpack, thus no matches and no sleeping bag.

It didn't take long for her to have a nice, circular fire pit in the entrance of the cave she had lucked out on, but that was the easy part. "C'mon, light," she grumbled to the pile of kindling she had placed in the pit, striking two dry sticks above it once again. "Light!" After about fifteen minutes of exhausting every technique she could think of to get the tinder to light, she was finally rewarded with a spark that soon started a roaring fire. "Ah, there we go," she sighed, holding her hands out to warm them on he orange flames.

She groaned as she forced her stiff body to stand again, going just outside the cave to gather fallen pine needles and other soft-looking things for her bed. It didn't look very pleasant at first, but Kagome found that if she laid the needles flat and didn't move around too much, it was acceptably comfortable. Unfortunately, she couldn't get too close to the fire because her bed was extremely flammable, but she got as close as she dared and curled into a ball on her makeshift bed.

_I miss Inuyasha_, she thought sadly and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

~o~o~

Kagome awoke to the sound of snuffling near the cave entrance, and opened her bleary eyes to stare into the semi-darkness of pre-dawn. Fear-sparked adrenaline coursed through her veins as she reached for the club/stick she had picked up that afternoon; she had place it above her head before she had gone to sleep.

Now she gripped it tightly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure, as she eased herself into a crouch with the weapon in front of her. Her fire had gone out in the night and as her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, she finally got a good look at the beast that had woken her.

It was large and dark, not quite black but very dark brown, with a sort of fuzzy outline, like it was covered in fur. She recognized it, even in the low light. It was a bear, albeit a small one, but a bear just the same. Kagome gasped, and the bear looked up to stare at her with liquid chocolate eyes almost exactly the same as her own. It was terrified, but Kagome was more so.

Fear gave her the courage and adrenaline the strength the bring the club around for a sharp smack to the bear's temple. It shook its head and yowled in pain and fear, but as Kagome prepared for another strike, the young bear yowled again and ran away through the trees. Kagome was stunned but relieved that it hadn't stuck around to fight her. She hadn't been able of infuse the stick with any miko energy, but then again it had only been an ordinary bear, not a youkai.

Kagome sighed heavily as she tried to restart her heart. There wasn't much to do before she left. She didn't have her backpack so there was nothing to pack, no sleeping bag to roll up, no friends to wake. Kagome sighed again, this time from loneliness , and started to trudge away from the cave, club in hand.

She walked all morning like that, only stopping once in mid-morning to harvest some berries from a passing bush, no even bothering to wash them before bringing them along to snack on while she walked. It had been at least twenty-four hours since that last time she had eaten, and thought the berries were a welcome relief, they left her stomach growling and hungry for more afterwards.

It was already noon by the time she finally lucked upon a small village. Kagome sighed in relief as she staggered into the village, meeting their startled stares with empty eyes and a growling stomach. "Please," she said to a small group of village women with baskets strapped to their backs; they must have just come back from the harvest. "Please, I'm only asking for a little. I just need a little bit of food and then I'll by on my way, I promise. I can pay you back, if you wish..."

"Y-youkai!" one of the women finally gained the courage to shout, pointing at Kagome's chest. "Youkai! There is a youkai in the village!" Soon the woman around her began to take up the call, running through the village to alert the men and hide the children.

"Youkai!"

"It's growling, maybe an inu?"

"But look at the eyes! That's a sly neko if I ever saw one!"

The yells continued as whispers began to spread through the crowd of women watching their sons and husbands grab weapons from the armory and begin to circle the youkai. Mind hazed with hunger, it took Kagome just that long to come up with a response.

"What? Me? A youkai? No, no, no, I think you've got the wrong idea. I just-"

"We will hear none of your lies, youkai. We are no fools." The man speaking was tall and brunette, with fierce brown eyes. "You have made the mistake of trying to attack our village, and for that we cannot let you live!" The man finished his declaration with a jab to Kagome's torso from the spear he was holding.

She just barely managed to dodge it, and the tip of the spear nicked her white school shirt. "What the...?" Kagome said, ducking more jabs and rolling onto her feet a yard or so away. What was the matter with these people? Yeah, she had been mistaken for a youkai before because of her odd clothing, but no one had ever _attacked_ her for it.

Kagome squeaked as another spear just narrowly missed slicing her back, and began to run for the woods. Forget the food, she could live without it! Kagome fled deep into the trees and eventually the enraged villagers stopped chasing her, so she bent over to catch her breath. As she opened her eyes, she saw a small puddle on the ground beneath her, and in that puddle staring back at her...

... was most _definitely_ not a human face.

~o~o~o~o~

First of all, let me apologize for taking so long with this chapter. ~dodges rocks and rotten produce~ Yes, I know there are a million excuses I could give, but let me just put it mostly off to procrastination. I've had this typed up for a while now; I was actually going to post it near the middle of November to tide you over until NaNoWriMo ended, but I never got the time. And now I have writer's block on all of my stories, whether fanfiction or original, so you'll just have to be patient with me for a little bit longer, I regret to say. -.- Please don't hurt me. .

Oh, and this is what I had typed up as the Author's Note right after I typed this chapter:

Dun dun dun! XD Well, I wrote this by hand in a notebook like forever and a half ago, but I'm just now finally getting to type it up. And with a sprained wrist, too, because I'm just a genius like that. -.-'

Yeah, anyway, this is a really long chapter, the longest one I've had so far. Hope you guys like it; and we're finally back to the present in the next chapter! Woot! XD

Yeah, so...

Japanese terms:

onna: woman, female

inu: dog

shiro: castle

youkai: demon

neko: cat


End file.
